Auditor DiZoglio, Merrimack Valley mayors highlight MeVa services

HAVERHILL — Audits are typically a painful inconvenience to those being audited. Recently, however, several Merrimack Valley mayors joined with State Auditor Diana DiZoglio, D-Methuen, to highlight the positives that went along with a routine audit of Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority (MVRTA).

DiZoglio’s office audits state-funded entities and county offices. It does not audit non-profits and other private entities.

“While audits can be daunting, DiZoglio and her office understood from the start how important Regional Transit Authorities – RTAs – are to the communities we serve,” said Noah Berger, administrator and CEO of MeVa.

“They worked with us as a partner with the goal of serving our passengers. We are thankful to the Auditor’s team for their review of our operations and are pleased to report that we have implemented all of their recommendations, which has made our service even better.”

MeVa, also recognized as MVRTA, is the public transit serving 16 Merrimack Valley communities.

To bring attention to the partnership, the mayors of Amesbury, Haverhill, Lawrence, and Newburyport – four of the 16 communities served by MeVa – hopped on a bus along with DiZoglio and recorded a social media video that brings attention to the successful audit and accessibility of services provided by MeVa.

Methuen Mayor Neil Perry recorded his video at a different time and it was merged into the video of DiZoglio and the four other mayors.

“Organizations like MeVa are a great example of how community partners can implement recommendations from our audit findings to increase access and opportunity for all across the region,” DiZoglio said.

“They demonstrate that, by working together, we can accomplish more to improve the way state systems and resources perform and hold organizations accountable across state government in order to make government work better for everyone.”

“Many people rely on MeVa for personal and professional travel,” said Amesbury Mayor Kassandra Gove, who also serves as chair of the MeVa Advisory Board. “I’m more than happy to have a little fun on social media, especially if it helps us spread the word about this amazing resource.”

The 16 communities served by MeVa include Amesbury, Andover, Boxford, Georgetown, Groveland, Haverhill, Lawrence, Merrimac, Methuen, Newbury, Newburyport, North Andover, North Reading, Rowley, Salisbury, and West Newbury.

“People are always surprised when I say I use MeVa to travel to my weekly dialysis appointments,” said Methuen Mayor Neil Perry. “I think those same people are just as surprised to learn that the Merrimack Valley has the gold standard of public transportation services. I hope this video helps raise awareness of the services available, and the ease of accessing them.”

“Very happy and satisfied to have been invited to this project which brings us first-class information to our community,” said Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña. “I must say that I had a lot of fun. Let’s keep up the good work!”

“Over the last couple of years, MeVa has implemented changes to improve services, making it free and more accessible,” Haverhill Mayor Melinda Barrett said.

“Haverhill is proud to host MeVa’s administrative offices, but even more so to have them as a strong partner to the city in getting residents and our workforce where they need to go across the Merrimack Valley.”

“MeVa has been a tremendous partner to Newburyport and I look forward to continuing to find creative ways to engage our residents with all that MeVa offers,” Newburyport Mayor Sean Reardon said.

To see the video, visit the Office of State Auditor’s pages on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or X (formerly Twitter), or on YouTube by searching for “Auditor Diana DiZoglio and Mayors go for a ride on MeVa Transit!”

For more information on the audit of MeVa, as well as other state entities, visit mass.gov/lists/all-audit-reports.